1. The Regional Profile presents a standard set of data for the following levels of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC): Statistical Local Area (SLA), Local Government Area (LGA), Statistical Subdivision (SSD), Statistical Division (SD), State/Territory and Australia.

2. The data are sourced from a wide variety of collections, both ABS and non-ABS. When analysing the data care needs to be taken as time periods, definitions, methodologies, scope and coverage differ between collections. Where available, data have been presented as a time series. Time series data enable us to assess levels of social and economic activities over time. However, looked at on a period to period basis, these series may be volatile. When analysing the data, users are encouraged to consider the longer term behaviour of the series, where this is available.

3. While information on the datasets and terms used in this profile are included below and in the accompanying Glossary, more detailed information can be obtained by referring to the relevant source listed for each dataset.

4. All data are shown for boundaries as described in the 2004 edition of the ASGC (ASGC 2004). For further information see the "Statistical Geography: Volume 1 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification", 2004 (ASGC), cat. no. 1216.0, ABS, Canberra, Annual. For further information on how data has been presented on ASGC 2004, see geographical concordances at paragraphs 102 to 108 of these Explanatory Notes.

Estimates of Unemployment

5. Unemployment estimates for small areas are produced by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) using the Structure Preserving Estimation (SPREE) methodology.

6. SPREE uses Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services (Centrelink) statistics of persons in receipt of unemployment benefits and ABS population and labour force estimates by labour force regions to estimate unemployment levels. Sampling and non-sampling errors in these collections will flow into the DEWR estimates.

7. This methodology produces original, unadjusted estimates which can exhibit considerable variability. The data shown in the National Regional Profile have been 'smoothed' by averaging the original data over the last four quarters to September. Particular care should be taken when interpreting estimates for regions where the estimated labour force is smaller than 1000 persons.
8. DEWR produced the estimates on ASGC 2001 boundaries so a geographic concordance has been used to present the data based on ASGC 2004. Further information on geographic concordances can be found in paragraphs 102 to 108.

9. A detailed description of the SPREE methodology used in deriving the estimates is presented in the DEWR quarterly publication "Small Area Labour Markets, Australia" or can be accessed through the DEWR web site at www.workplace.gov.au

Local Government Finance

10. The Local Government Finance data displayed are from the ABS Government Finance Statistics collection.

11. The system of Government Financial Statistics (GFS) provides details of revenues, expenses, cash flows and assets and liabilities of the Australian public sector.

12. Local government authorities are responsible for areas typically described as cities, towns, shires, boroughs and municipalities. Although the range of functions undertaken by local governments varies between the different jurisdictions, their powers and responsibilities are generally similar and cover such matters as:

the construction and maintenance of roads, streets and bridges;

water, sewerage and drainage systems;

health and sanitary services;

the regulation of building standards; and

the administration of regulations relating to items such as slaughtering, weights and measures, and registration of dogs.

13. Local governments also provide transport facilities, hospitals, charitable institutions, recreation grounds, parks, swimming pools, libraries, museums and other business undertakings. Local governments' own-source revenue is derived mainly from property taxes. They also rely on grants from the Commonwealth and their parent state governments. The Australian Capital Territory has no separate local government.

16. The term 'Selected income support customers' has been used to define persons receiving specific payments from various Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS) programs for the years shown (in 2004 the responsibility for some payments were transferred from FaCS to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and to the Department of Education, Science and Training). The statistics shown have been compiled from data collected by Centrelink which is the government agency delivering income support payments and services to eligible members of the community on behalf of FaCS for the years shown.

17. Centrelink customers complete claim forms in order to determine their eligibility for payments and services. The type of payment being claimed determines what form is used and how frequently claim forms need to be submitted.

18. People receiving more than one payment are only counted once by using the main payment type. Data for Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Newstart Allowance, Parenting Payment - Single and Youth Allowance are shown separately while the following main payment types have been grouped in the "other pensions and allowances" category: Austudy, Carer Allowance, Carer Payment, Double Orphan Pension, Exceptional Circumstances, Mobility Allowance, Newstart Mature Age Allowance, Parenting Payment Partnered, Partner Allowance, Sickness Allowance, Special Benefit, Widow Allowance, Wife Pension and Widow Class B. Brief descriptions of each payment type are included in the Glossary.

19. Excluded from the data presented in this profile are persons whose main payment type is Bereavement Allowance, Childcare Benefit, Farm Family Restart or Family Tax Benefit Part A or B.

20. Counts of income support customers include those receiving a payment and those customers temporarily suspended from payment or not paid in the fortnight (zero paid) due to income/assets test provisions or other administrative procedures. Age Pension counts exclude payments made to persons overseas and age pensions paid by the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

21. The percentage of long-term Newstart Allowance customers and the number of Newstart Allowance customers come from different Centrelink databases. The data used to calculate the percentage of long-term Newstart Allowance customers exclude those persons temporarily suspended from payment or zero paid. Consequently, the percentages should not be applied to the Newstart Allowance numbers.

22. Data are for the fortnightly pay period closest to the end of June 2002 and the end of June 2003.

23. The statistics shown have been provided to the ABS in aggregated form only. No information about individual income support customers has been released to the ABS. A geographic concordance has been used in order to present the original postcode data on ASGC 2004 boundaries. Note that the use of this concordance may lead to total numbers for States/Territories which differ slightly from State/Territory totals published by Centrelink. Further information on geographic concordances can be found in paragraphs 102 to 108.

24. To preserve the confidentiality of individuals data for some areas have been added to data for other areas. The list below gives details of the areas effected by these amalgamations:

25. These amalgamations also flow into the addition of these SLAs to LGAs, but do not affect totals for SSDs or higher geographical areas.

26. Detailed information on specific payments and eligibility requirements can be found on the Centrelink web site at www.centrelink.gov.au

Average Individual Annual Taxable income

27. The average individual annual taxable income data have been sourced from the annual Australian Taxation Office (ATO) publication and CD-ROM 'Taxation Statistics'. (These are also available on the Tax Office web site at www.ato.gov.au)

28. The main functions and responsibilities of the ATO are to administer taxation legislation and to collect a wide variety of taxes. The ATO therefore collects data from its reporting population as part of its processes to calculate income tax liability for those persons who are required to lodge an income tax return.

29. Individuals who submit an individual income tax return report their total income from various sources over a financial year. Their taxable income is the amount remaining after deducting from assessable income all deductions allowed under the Income Tax Assessment Act and is the amount to which tax rates are applied.

30. The average individual annual taxable income in an area is then calculated by dividing the total taxable income reported for an area by the total number of taxable taxpayers.

31. A geographic concordance has been used in order to present the original postcode data on ASGC 2004 boundaries. Further information on geographic concordances can be found in paragraphs 102 to 108.

Wage and salary earners

32. The estimates for Wage and salary earners have been compiled by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) from their Individual Income Tax Return Database.

33. Individuals who submit an individual income tax return report their income from one or more of a range of sources such as wages and salary, own business, superannuation, investments and government pensions, benefits or allowances.

34. As the ATO's income tax return is designed to obtain a person's total income from various sources over a financial year, and not the employment status of a person at a particular point in time, wage and salary earners have been defined as 'persons aged 15 years and over who have submitted an individual income tax return and for whom wage and salary income was the principal (or main) source of income for the financial year'.

35. Wage and salary income, as reported on the income tax return, includes gross income as shown on the 'PAYG payment summary - individual non-business' as well as allowances, commissions, bonuses, tips, gratuities, consultation fees, honoraria, and other payments for services. Allowances and other earnings may include car, travel or transport allowances, allowances for tools, clothing or laundry and dirt, risk, meal or entertainment allowances. The data to define and compile counts of wage and salary earners have been sourced from questions 1 and 2 on the individual income tax return (Note: PAYG (Pay as You Go) payment summaries were previously known as Group Certificates).

36. All individual income tax statistics provided to the ABS by the ATO have been in aggregated form only, at the Statistical Local Area (SLA) level. Information about individual taxpayers has not been released to the ABS.

37. The statistics are based on individual income tax returns lodged for the financial year ended 30 June, regardless of the year in which they were processed.

38. A geographic concordance has been used in order to present the data on ASGC 2004 boundaries. Further information on geographic concordances can be found in paragraphs 102 to 108.

40. Experimental estimates of personal income brings together data aggregated from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and from the Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS), which was responsible for income support payments for the years shown.

41. The income received by individuals have been grouped into six main categories:

Wage and salary income (data source - ATO)

Own unincorporated business income (data source - ATO)

Investment income (data source - ATO)

Superannuation and annuity income (data source - ATO)

Government cash benefit income (data source - FaCS)

Other income (data source - ATO)

42. Total gross income is the sum of the income from all these sources before income tax and the Medicare levy have been deducted.

45. The land area figures are based upon the boundaries of the SLAs in the 2004 edition of the ASGC. The areas of the SLAs were calculated using ABS standard Geographic Information Systems software from the digital boundaries of the SLAs. Higher level spatial unit area figures are aggregations of the SLA areas.

Building approvals

46. Statistics of building work approvals are compiled from:

permits issued by local government authorities;

contracts let or day labour work authorised by Commonwealth, State, semi-government and local government authorities;

major building activity in areas not subject to normal administrative approval (e.g. building on remote mine sites).

47. The statistics included in this profile relate to all residential building approvals valued at $10,000 or more and all approved non-residential building jobs valued at $50,000 or more.

48. Construction activity not defined as building (eg. construction of roads, bridges, railways etc) is excluded from building statistics.

49. The data are for the financial year ended 30 June.

50. Data for Jervis Bay is included in the state total for New South Wales, while data for Christmas Island and Cocos-Keeling Islands is included in state total data for Western Australia.

52. New motor vehicle sales statistics are based on the Vehicle Facts (VFACTS) service produced by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI). VFACTS data are based on retail sales of new vehicles by all FCAI members.

53. Included are passenger vehicles, trucks, buses, vehicles with diplomatic and consular plates, State/Territory and Commonwealth owned vehicles and vehicles belonging to the defence forces. Excluded are motor cycles, plant and equipment and unpowered vehicles.

54. Data are for the financial year ended 30 June.

55. A geographic concordance has been used in order to present the original postcode data on ASGC 2004 boundaries. Further information on geographic concordances can be found in paragraphs 102 to 108.

56. Data for Jervis Bay Territory are included in the Unknown AUST SLA 99999, and so included in the Australian total only. Data for Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Island were included in the WA SLA 59779, and so included in the Western Australia state total.

57. Detailed monthly figures can be obtained by making inquiries to the Manager, VFACTS,Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries on (03) 9829 1234. Some information is also available by viewing the industry summary presented on the VFACTS web site www.autoweb.com.au

Value of Agricultural Production

58. The value of agricultural production estimates are derived by the multiplication of price and quantity of individual agricultural commodities. Quantity data for commodities was collected at the 2000-01 Agricultural Census. Price data is the average unit value of a given commodity realised in the market place. Price information is obtained from a wide range of both ABS and non-ABS sources, including marketing authorities and industry sources.

59. The values used here are "gross value of agricultural commodities produced" and represent the value placed on recorded production at the wholesale prices realised in the market place. Market place, in general, is the metropolitan market in each state. In cases where commodities are consumed locally, or where they become raw material for a secondary industry, these points are presumed to be the market place.

60. The method of collection of relevant prices for agricultural commodities and the costs of marketing these commodities vary considerably between states and between commodities. Where a statutory authority handles marketing of the whole or a portion of a product, price data are usually obtained from this source. Price information is also obtained from marketing reports, wholesalers, brokers and auctioneers. For all commodities, values are in respect of production during the year (or season) irrespective of when payments are made.

61. Estimates for small areas such as Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) and Local Government Areas (LGAs) are only available for years in which an Agricultural Census is conducted. The most recent Agricultural Census was conducted in respect of 2000-01.

62. Value of agricultural production estimates are subject to standard error. Estimates with an RSE greater than 50% are not shown as the estimates are considered too unreliable for general use.

64. Population figures are the estimated resident population (ERP) for the selected region as at 30 June for the year shown.Data are shown to the nearest whole number without rounding, but accuracy to the last digit is not claimed and should not be assumed.

65. The concept of ERP links people to a place of usual residence within Australia. Usual residence is defined as that place where each person has lived or intends to live for six months or more in the reference year.

66. In census years the ERP as at 30 June for a region is based on usual residence census counts, with an allowance for net census undercount and the number of residents temporarily overseas at the census date. Overseas visitors in Australia are excluded from this calculation. As the census is held at a date other than 30 June (7 August in 2001), further adjustments taking into account births, deaths and net migration for the intervening period are made to obtain the ERP at 30 June.

67. For post-censal years, estimates at the Australian level take into account natural increase and net overseas migration, while estimates for states and territories also use estimated interstate movements involving a change of usual residence. However the absence of migration data at the SLA level means that it is not possible to estimate SLA populations by taking into account natural increase and net migration. Instead, ERPs are calculated using a mathematical model.

68. In the mathematical model a relationship is established between changes in population and changes in other indicators over the period between the two most recent censuses.

69. The choice of indicators varies across the states and territories, depending on availability, and includes dwelling approvals, electricity connections, Medicare enrolments and drivers' licences. Changes in these indicators are then used to estimate changes in the population of each area since the last census. The choice of indicators also varies across SLAs depending on aspects such as whether the SLA is urban or rural, is growing or declining, and whether the area has a high or low proportion of houses or medium and high density dwellings.

70. Local knowledge, including that advised by local governments, may be used to adjust the outcome of the model for a particular SLA.

73. The indigenous population figures are experimental estimates of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) population of Australia at 30 June 2001, based on the 2001 Census.

74. The indigenous population is comprised of people who are of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin or both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.

75. The estimates of the indigenous population are experimental. The significant intercensal volatility in indigenous Census counts and the quality of data on births, deaths and migration do not support the standard approach to population estimation.

76. In the estimation of the indigenous population, Census counts of indigenous persons by Statistical Local Area (SLA) of usual residence were adjusted to produce the estimated population as at 7 August 2001. Next the effects of births, deaths, overseas migration and interstate migration for the 38 days between 1 July and 7 August 2001 were removed to derive 30 June 2001 estimates.

78. The National Regional Profile presents a summary of population characteristics from the 2001 Census. More detailed data are available from the Census Theme page on the ABS website. All Census data in the National Regional Profile is on a usual residence basis (see paragraph 80).

79. The Census enumerates people where they were located on Census night. Most standard products from the Census provide characteristics of people on this place of enumeration basis. Census counts by place of enumeration: include overseas visitors for Age, Sex and Registered Marital Status; exclude overseas visitors for all other person variables; and exclude Australian residents temporarily overseas.

80. Census data are also available on place of usual residence, which is the place a person usually lives, rather than the place they were counted on Census night. Census counts by place of usual residence exclude overseas visitors and Australian residents temporarily overseas.

82. The statistics shown on Australia's overseas born population are from the 2001 Census.

83. The 'Standard Classification of Countries' (SACC)(Cat. no. 1269.0) was used to classify responses for birthplace of individuals. This classification used the current names of countries, so if a person uses a former name the current name is coded. For example, Siam would be coded to Thailand. If an individual's birthplace was not stated on the Census form, an attempt was made to derive it from other answers.

84. The data shown exclude overseas visitors, persons at sea at the time of the Census, and persons whose responses on the Census form inadequately described their country of birth or for whom the birthplace was not stated (and could not be derived).

88. The Occupation figures shown are from the 2001 Census and include all employed people aged 15 yeas and over. Two questions are used in the Census. The first of these asks for occupation title, while the second asks for the main tasks usually performed by the person in their occupation. Collecting both occupation title and task information ensures more accurate coding of occupations.

90. The data on households are from the 2001 Census. The data describes the type of household within a dwelling. Family households can contain non-family members (unrelated persons and visitors).

91. A maximum of three families can be coded to a household. Lone person households can contain visitors.

Families

92. The family data shown are from the 2001 Census. Families have been classified in terms of the relationships that exist between a single family reference person and each other member of that family. Different types of families are distinguished based on the presence or absence of couple relationships, parent-child relationships, child dependency relationships or other blood relationships, in that order of preference.

93. The family type is derived from people enumerated in the household who usually reside there and who share a familial relationship. Partners and dependent children usually present but temporarily absent are also included in this derivation. Boarders and other non-family members are excluded.

Proportion of Population in Remoteness Area

94. The percentages shown indicate the proportion of the population living in each category of Remoteness for the selected region. The proportions are based on where people were on the night of the 2001 Census of Population and Housing.

95. The Remoteness Structure was added to the ASGC in 2001 in order to provide a standard geographical structure describing Australia in terms of a measurement of remoteness or distance from services. It is designed to allow quantitative comparisons between 'city' and 'country' Australia.

96. The Remoteness Structure is based upon the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) which was developed for the former Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care (now Department of Health and Ageing) by the National Key Centre for Social Applications of Geographical Information Systems (GISCA). ARIA measures the remoteness of a point based on the road distances to the nearest town (service centre) in each of five population size classes. The basic premises of ARIA are that there are more services available in larger towns than small towns and that remoteness is a factor of the relative distance one must travel to access a full range of services.

97. The Remoteness Structure contains the following categories which provide a measurement of whether geographic distances impose restrictions on the accessibility to the widest range of goods, services and opportunities for social interaction:

Very Remote Australia - imposes the highest restriction e.g. The far west parts of New South Wales and Queensland, northern South Australia and Western Australia, most of the Northern Territory and Flinders and King Islands in Bass Strait (Tasmania).

99. The population density for a region is calculated by dividing the estimated resident population (ERP) by the land area to obtain the number of persons per square kilometre.

Births

100. Birth statistics are presented on the basis of the usual residence of the mother regardless of where in Australia the birth occurred or was registered. The data refer to live births registered during the calendar year shown, and are supplied to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) by each state/territory Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages for compilation into the aggregate statistics in this publication. For more information refer toBirths, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0).
Deaths

101. Death statistics are presented on the basis of the usual residence of the deceased regardless of where in Australia the death occurred or was registered. The data refer to deaths registered during the calendar year shown, and are supplied to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) by each state/territory Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages for compilation into the aggregate statistics in this publication. For more information refer toDeaths, Australia (cat. no. 3302.0).

Geographic concordances

102. The data in this profile are shown for boundaries as described in the 2004 edition of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC).

103. Where data were originally available by other geographic areas or based on a previous edition of the ASGC a geographic concordance has been applied to convert the data to ASGC 2004 boundaries.

104. These concordances (or conversions) use factors based on population to produce estimates on the desired region.

105. For example, aggregated postcode data can be used to produce estimates at the SLA level by using postcode to SLA conversion factors. The conversion factors are based on the estimated resident population for each particular year.

106. The following example shows how the concordances are applied. An SLA covers three postcode areas; all of postcode 0001 and parts of postcodes 0002 and 0003. Based on the estimated resident population at 30 June 2003, the proportions of the population, or concordance factors, in each postcode that make up the SLA were: 100.00% for postcode 0001, 26.71% for postcode 0002 and 62.60% for postcode 0003. By applying these factors to the relevant total population for each postcode, in this case the people receiving the Age Pension, an estimate of 8,530 for the SLA was derived.

EXAMPLE - POSTCODE TO SLA CONCORDANCE

Postcode

Age pension

Conversion factor

SLA share

no.

no.

no.

0001

3,294

1.0000

3,294

0002

2,680

0.2671

716

0003

7,221

0.6260

4,520

SLA total

8,530

107. When analysing concorded data the following limitations of this methodology need to be taken into account:

in applying the concordances it is assumed that the particular characteristics of any data item are uniformly distributed across an area and therefore concorded data may not truly reflect the distribution of the characteristics of the population. In some cases, where one area is split across two or more SLAs and there are no other contributing areas, distinct numerical estimates will be derived but rates or averages will be identical for each SLA (as these will be equivalent to the original rate or average of the contributing area);

the conversion factors are based on total population only;

some official postcodes (such as PO boxes, etc.) do not correspond to residential areas but may still be reported in the current home address field. Data for these and other ‘invalid’ postcodes, such as those due to incorrect reporting or processing errors, have been included in an ‘unknown’ category for each state and territory and for Australia where the state or territory was not known.

108. While care was taken in producing and applying the concordances the ABS will not guarantee the accuracy of concorded data.

VIC - Road Traffic Fatalities & Road Traffic Major Injuries

109. Statistics on the number of number of road traffic collisions involving fatalities and major injuries in Victoria are provided by the Victoria Police Statistical Services Division. Data on fatalities are based on the reports provided by the Police members and fatal Incident Fact Sheets. Collisions and injuries data are obtained from accident report forms (VP Form 510). Due to compliance with the Federal Office of Road Safety guidelines and delays in the supply of collision data, the data may be subject to revision at a later date. For more information, refer to the Victoria Police website at http://www.police.vic.gov.au

VIC - Recorded Crime Offences

110. Statistics on recorded crime offences by Victorian Police Regions are provided by the Victoria Police Statistical Services Division. Only the most serious offence in a distinct course of criminal conduct is recorded in official statistics, even though multiple charges may be laid for one incident. For example, if an offender carrying a firearm commits an armed robbery and assaults a staff member, only the armed robbery is recorded although the offender will be charged with both offences.

111. The recorded crime statistics include only those offences which become known to police and for which a crime report has been completed and are recorded between 1 July and 30 June regardless of when the offence occurred or when it was reported to police (over 85% of all offences are recorded within 48 hours of being reported to police). There are over 4000 individual statutory and common law offences are grouped into 27 broad offence categories (loosely based on the Australian National Classification of Offences). These are further aggregated into four general classes of "Crime against the Person", "Crime Against Property", Drug Offences" and "other Crime". For more information, refer to the Victoria Police website at http://www.police.vic.gov.au

VIC - Condition Of Main Roads

112 Measures of road condition in Victoria are provided by VicRoads for all 'declared roads'. Declared roads include National highways, State Highways, Main Roads, Tourist Roads, and Forest Roads, i.e. all roads for which VicRoads has responsibility. It excludes local roads. The VicRoads website ishttp://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au

VIC - Government-Owned Social Housing Stocks

113. Government-owned social housing stocks include both public housing and government-owned community housing. Data on government-owned social housing in Victoria are provided by the Office of Housing, Department of Human Services, Victoria.

VIC - Life Expectancy At Birth

114. Data on life expectancy in Victoria is provided by the Department of Human Services, Victoria. Life expectancy is considered as an indicator of the particular health of any given population. For a child born today, life expectancy is calculated as the average life span of the child, on the assumption that currently observed age-and-sex specific death rates continue indefinitely into the future. For more details refer to the Department of Human Services, Victoria website athttp://www.health.vic.gov.au.

QLD - Schools and students

115. The SD and LGA statistics in these profiles were provided by the Queensland Department of Education and the Arts. These were compiled from the annual National Schools Statistics Collection (NSSC), which is a collaborative arrangement between state, territory and Australian Government education authorities and the ABS. The NSSC uses a set of concepts, definitions and classifications developed jointly by these agencies.

QLD - Housing

116. The Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) is the state’s professional association for the real estate industry and exists to support member real estate agents with information, products and resources. REIQ provided data on housing sales, median prices, and average prices. The base data are sourced from the Queensland Valuation and Sales database, maintained by the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines.

SA - Schools

117 The Government school data have been compiled from data provided by the Department for Education, Training and Employment. The figures are as at August of each year, with the number of student enrolments being expressed in rounded, full-time equivalents. The Non-government Schools Secretariat supplied the data for Non-government schools, with the number of student enrolments shown being the average of the figures collected for February and August of each year.

SA - Property sales

118. The property sales information has been compiled from data provided by the SA Department of Administrative and Information Services, Land Services Group, Office of the Valuer-General. The statistics included only relate to sales for which payment was received equivalent to the full value of the property, and have been shown according to the land use categories prescribed by the Local Government (Land Use) Regulations, 1989.

SA - Property valuations

119. The property valuations information has been compiled from data provided by the SA Department of Administrative and Information Services, Land Services Group, Office of the Valuer-General.

WA - Hospital Separations

120. The data were obtained from the Department of Health, Western Australia. The hospital separation data presented in this Profile are based on the postcode of the patient's residential address. They are derived from records submitted by Western Australian public and private hospitals to the Department of Health's Morbidity Data System.

121. These hospital separations statistics have been derived using a concordance to convert the residential postcode of the patient to a specified area. Where a residential address was given as a post-office box and could not be directly assigned to a local government area, the patient information was only included at the aggregated statistical sub-division geographic level.

122. The diagnosis classification used is the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision.

WA - Perinatal Separations

123. The data were sourced from the Department of Health's Midwives Notification Service, Western Australia. Perinatal Statistics are based on the postcode of the patient's residential address.

WA - Schools

124. The data are sourced from the Department of Education and Training, Western Australia. It is taken as at second semester and excludes pre-schools and pre-school teaching staff.

WA - Tourist Developments

125. The data weresourced from the Western Australian Tourism Commission. Tourist Development are taken from the Tourist Developments Register which contains a summary of the information collected in related to tourism development activity occurring within Western Australia. The data are obtained from Local Government Authorities, Regional Development Commissions, developers, consultants, and other sources.

WA - Length of Roads

126. Data sourced from Main Roads, Western Australia.

WA - Vegetation

127. Data sourced from the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia. It excludes urban and pastoral leases.

WA - Average Water Use

128. Average water use information displayed in this profile are derived from information supplied by the Water Corporation, Western Australia. Data relates to Water Corporation clients and their consumption of water. It does not include use of private water tanks.

WA - Reported Offences

129. These data are sourced from the Western Australian Police Service's Offence Information System. Reported offences are selected offences reported to, or becoming known to, police and resulting in the submission of a report. The number of reported offences in a period may include offences that occurred during earlier periods. The data are also subject to revision as further data become available. Offences are classified according to Offence Information System offence codes. Offence classifications may change between periods due to changes in legislation or administrative recording practices and, therefore, time series may be broken.

131. These data, from the Fines Enforcement Agency at the Department of Justice in Western Australia, provide a snapshot of fines and infringements as at 4th September 2004 and the 15th September 2005. Included are outstanding court fines issued since 1991 and all outstanding infringements issued since 1995. It is important to note that although some fines and infringements may be classified as written off, they are kept on the system, and can be re-activated as incomplete in certain circumstances. Fines and infringements classified as written off may also include a range of administrative cases, such as fines and infringements issued in error.

WA - Minerals and Petroleum

132. Data sourced from the Department of Industry and Resources, Western Australia.

WA - Fisheries production

133. The data were sourced from the Department of Fisheries, Western Australia. The estimated values of fishery production for 2002/03 onwards are mostly based on the estimated unit price for 2000/01 except for the top 30 fish species, western rock lobster, prawn, scallop, and abalone species.

134. The commercial value of shark fin was estimated by research scientists and began to be reported in general publications from the 2000/01 financial year.

135. The estimated value data represent a gross estimated value of the fish products taken by wild capture fisheries only. The data do not include landings from: Commonwealth managed fisheries, such as the Tuna and Billfish longline fishery; deepwater trawl fisheries; and the Northern prawn fisheries. Also, excluded are specimen shells, marine aquarium fish, corals and sponges taken by commercial fishermen under special licences. The data relate to the port of landing at which the fishers indicated they had unloaded their catches, which may or may not relate to the area from which the catch was taken.

136. Catches taken from Western Australian water but landed at Darwin are not included. Prawn catches taken from the Kimberley region which are reported to AFMA are not included.

WA - Forestry Production

137. The data were sourced from the Western Australian Tourism Commission. Values are charges to customers for timber, including stumpage, administrative, delivery etc from the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM). The data excludes arid timber sandalwood.

TAS - Property Sales and Valuations and Rateable Land Use

138. Property Sales, Property Valuations and Rateable Land Use data are produced by the Land Services Division of the Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment (DPIWE). Data are extracted from the Land Information System Tasmania (LIST) data base. The LIST is a whole of government, integrated land information infrastructure with a web based delivery system. Property transaction information is updated on the LIST data base on a day to day basis.

139. The LIST is governed by the Land Information Coordination Committee (LICC). The committee is made up of representatives from State and Local Governments and Government Business Enterprises with an interest in land management. The committee has the responsibility for developing policies and strategies relating to data quality.

141. Data on Roads owned by Local Government are provided by the State Government Grants Commission in its annual report. More information can be found in the report at http://www.treasury.tas.gov.au. The State Grants Commission was established under the State Grants Commission Act 1976. It is responsible for making recommendations to the Treasurer concerning the distribution of Commonwealth financial assistance grants and local road funding to local government.

142.The data on Local Government roads are produced from an annual survey, conducted by the Department of Premier and Cabinet's Local Government Division for their Key Performance Indicator Project. The survey collects data on length of different type of roads. The data are owned by local government and includes length of urban sealed, urban unsealed, rural sealed, and rural unsealed roads in kilometres. The Tasmanian Department of Treasury reports that data are of good quality, and are subject to continued audits by the councils.

143. Data on National Roads and State Government Roads are provided by the Asset Information Group, which is part of the Tasmanian Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (DIER). The department's website is: http://www.transport.tas.gov.au.

TAS - Public Housing

144 The Housing Tasmania Division of the State Government Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) aims to provide access to adequate, affordable, and appropriate housing for people on low incomes, and particularly for people who have specialist housing requirements. Person and property records are subject to regular audits and, for the most part, inconsistencies are addressed through this process.

145. Information is held for all applicant and tenant households and all properties for which the Director of Housing is title holder. Data are provided for the number of public housing rental properties, occupants of public housing rental properties by age and public housing waiting lists.

147. Data about licensed gaming premises and machines is provided by the Tasmanian Department of Treasury and Finance, Liquor and Gaming Branch. Data are collected under the Liquor and Accommodation Act 1990 (Tas). Licensed gaming premises and machines do not include figures from the Wrest Point Casino in Hobart and Country Club Casino in Launceston.

149. The Australian Heritage Database contains over 20,000 records for places in Australia, many of which are entered in the World Heritage List, the National Heritage List, the Commonwealth Heritage List, and the Register of the National Estate. The Register of the National Estate, originally compiled by the Australian Heritage Commission, is now an information source maintained by the recently formed Australian Heritage Council. The Register of the National Estate includes more than 13,000 places of natural, historic and indigenous significance.

150. The Register of the National Estate allows people to investigate and appreciate the heritage value of places, and enables decision makers, researchers and community groups to factor heritage value into account in their decisions. The Register of the National Estate Database includes: name of place; description, history and condition; status and class; address, state, LGA, geocoordinates, map references and maps; bibliography; photographs; statement of significance and digitized boundaries for all listed places.

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